10 Big Surprises About Newborn Babies

With village life in our past and the nuclear family in our present, many of us don’t have much experience with babies. Even if we grew up with younger siblings or earned cash babysitting, we didn’t have the same kind of up-close-and-personal relationship a new parent has with their newborn baby. Here, we count down parents’ top 10 (not-always-so-cute) surprises about their little cuties.

9. Babies are so immature they often have irregular breathing, jitters and look cross-eyed.

8. The first breast milk that comes out (colostrum) is loaded with antibodies, vitamins and has as many white blood cells as blood.

7. All babies are born with very short necks and tiny chins. It takes a few years for their chins to catch up in size to the rest of the face.

6. Babies have black tarry poop (Robin Williams said it looked like a cross between Velcro and toxic waste!).

5. Babies often look like little monkeys with furry hair on their ears, shoulders and foreheads and toes that curl over as if to grab a banana.

4. On the third day of life, a baby’s urine can turn pink (a sign of low fluid intake).

3. A baby’s soft spot is well protected with a membrane that is almost as tough as leather.

2. Babies are like little camels. They’re born with an extra pound of food and water in their bodies so they hardly need a drop of milk for the first days of life.

1. The umbilical cord doesn’t fall off…it rots off!

Did you know?

Fact: All babies are born 3 months early. They fuss because they miss the comforting sensations of the womb. To ease them into our big world, Happiest Baby invented SNOO, the first “responsive” smart sleeper, which soothes them with the right amount of sound and motion. Learn more.